Do you have a Christmas tradition?

amiamish

Either when you/DH were growing up that you are going to continue, or a new one to start with DC?

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We don't really have any, but I heard one that I want to start: On Christmas eve they get to open one gift-the gift is Christmas pj's and a new book. They get to wear those jammies to bed and read the book before bed.

alicia11780

amiamish:

Either when you/DH were growing up that you are going to continue, or a new one to start with DC?

***********************************************

We don't really have any, but I heard one that I want to start: On Christmas eve they get to open one gift-the gift is Christmas pj's and a new book. They get to wear those jammies to bed and read the book before bed.

OMG!  This is us totally.  In fact, this is the first year of the PJ's thing and book thing.  The only difference is I want to use the same book.  I got a really beautifully illustrated version of the Christmas story(crud, I can't remember the title but it has the "not a creature was stirring not even a mouse").  Anyway, I will wrap that up each year with the new PJ's and we will read it before going to bed.

sunandsand

Alicia11780:

amiamish:

Either when you/DH were growing up that you are going to continue, or a new one to start with DC?

***********************************************

We don't really have any, but I heard one that I want to start: On Christmas eve they get to open one gift-the gift is Christmas pj's and a new book. They get to wear those jammies to bed and read the book before bed.

OMG!  This is us totally.  In fact, this is the first year of the PJ's thing and book thing.  The only difference is I want to use the same book.  I got a really beautifully illustrated version of the Christmas story(crud, I can't remember the title but it has the "not a creature was stirring not even a mouse").  Anyway, I will wrap that up each year with the new PJ's and we will read it before going to bed.

The Night Before Christmas!

Mrs.LB705

We have A LOT--none of which we did as kids.  But Christmas is my favorite time of year, so I want to savor it with my son!

We do an Advent Calendar, and "Santa" comes every day to leave a treat in it (if he has earned it!) with a little bit of the story of Christmas.  We read it each day, and Brendan now knows the whole Nativity.

We go to see the Nutcracker every year.

We bake/decorate cookies as a family.

We read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" together on Christmas Eve night just before bed.

I love Christmas!

joseysbride

We have lots!

Leading up to Christmas, we always go out for pizza and then drive around and look at Christmas lights afterward.  We have our Christmas countdown calendar.  We do our own Advent candles at home to go along with the scriptures.  All of these things I did growing up.

For Christmas, we always have the same type of meal for Christmas Eve.  We only give three gifts to our kids to symbolize the three gifts that Jesus received, which are opened Christmas Eve.  Christmas day, I always make monkey bread for breakfast and of course there's all kinds of excitement that Santa came.  Then we go to Mass at 11, come home and eat a late dinner.

The tradition I like best of all is that we stay home for Christmas.  My dh and I both have divorced parents, so the holidays can be crazy trying to see everyone, but we make it a point to stay home for Christmas for our kids.

amiamish

Oh yes! We bake cookies/goodies with my Mom every year too. I think I'm going to start baking fresh cookies for Santa with DS on xmas eve too. And I love the thought of reading "twas the night before Christmas" before going to bed. We're starting that one this year too.

amiamish

joseysbride:

The tradition I like best of all is that we stay home for Christmas.  My dh and I both have divorced parents, so the holidays can be crazy trying to see everyone, but we make it a point to stay home for Christmas for our kids.

I like that one!

and what are advent candles? Is that a catholic thing? I thought the countdown calendars were advent calendars?

joseysbride

No, the advent wreath is, in general, a Christian tradition.  Advent is the time of preparation leading up to the celebration of Christmas.  On an Advent wreath, there are five candles, four which are lit for each week of Advent, all representing something different, and then final one which is lit on Christmas.

An Advent calendar counts down the days until Christmas as well, but they don't always hold religious meaning.  The one we do is not religious at all.  In fact, we have really been telling dd that it is more of a countdown until Santa comes.

cokt

We get a silver bell from MH's mom every year that has the year engraved on it and then the biggest event from that year engraved on the other side. She got them from her MIL every year starting the year she got married and now does it for her kids once they are married. We open them Christmas Eve and it is always fun to guess what our bell will say for that year. And we love looking at their 30+ bells and seeing what each year's event was.?

We also cut the bottom 2 inches off of our ?xmas tree trunk every year and put a picture of DS on it from in front of the tree and burn the year on the back. We have all our past tree logs on the mantle.?

We also give DS a book on Christmas Eve. And we have the same breakfast every Christmas morning. And we drive around and look at lights. But my favorite tradition is our bells!?

amiamish

Oh I see!! Man, you're full of knowledge thank you!

joseysbride

cokt:

We get a silver bell from MH's mom every year that has the year engraved on it and then the biggest event from that year engraved on the other side. She got them from her MIL every year starting the year she got married and now does it for her kids once they are married. We open them Christmas Eve and it is always fun to guess what our bell will say for that year. And we love looking at their 30+ bells and seeing what each year's event was. 

We also cut the bottom 2 inches off of our  xmas tree trunk every year and put a picture of DS on it from in front of the tree and burn the year on the back. We have all our past tree logs on the mantle. 

We also give DS a book on Christmas Eve. And we have the same breakfast every Christmas morning. And we drive around and look at lights. But my favorite tradition is our bells! 

That bell tradition is AWESOME!  You should take a photo of the bells.  I would love to see them.

amiamish

cokt:

We get a silver bell from MH's mom every year that has the year engraved on it and then the biggest event from that year engraved on the other side. She got them from her MIL every year starting the year she got married and now does it for her kids once they are married. We open them Christmas Eve and it is always fun to guess what our bell will say for that year. And we love looking at their 30+ bells and seeing what each year's event was. 

We also cut the bottom 2 inches off of our  xmas tree trunk every year and put a picture of DS on it from in front of the tree and burn the year on the back. We have all our past tree logs on the mantle. 

We also give DS a book on Christmas Eve. And we have the same breakfast every Christmas morning. And we drive around and look at lights. But my favorite tradition is our bells! 

those are some cool things too!

Who decides the "biggest event" was for everyone?

Alibabs

joseysbride:

cokt:

We get a silver bell from MH's mom every year that has the year engraved on it and then the biggest event from that year engraved on the other side. She got them from her MIL every year starting the year she got married and now does it for her kids once they are married. We open them Christmas Eve and it is always fun to guess what our bell will say for that year. And we love looking at their 30+ bells and seeing what each year's event was. 

We also cut the bottom 2 inches off of our  xmas tree trunk every year and put a picture of DS on it from in front of the tree and burn the year on the back. We have all our past tree logs on the mantle. 

We also give DS a book on Christmas Eve. And we have the same breakfast every Christmas morning. And we drive around and look at lights. But my favorite tradition is our bells! 

That bell tradition is AWESOME!  You should take a photo of the bells.  I would love to see them.

 

Me too!

cokt

Here are our bells-we have 4, 1 year for each year that we have been married. (our tree trunk things you can see too, we have just done that since James has been born) Anyway, MIL decides what is on the bell since she buys them. Our first one is our names with our wedding anniversary, the 2nd one is MH's name, DDS since he graduated Dental school that year, 3rd one is James' name and bday and last year's is our address because we bought our house that year. This year we are guessing is either NYC because we took a trip there without James so it was a big deal, or the address of the loft that MH and his brother bought downtown. It is fun guessing what is on the bell each year! MIL's bells were bought by her MIL until she died so some of their's are pretty funny. She put their dog's name on 3 bells in a row because she kept forgetting she had already done that. Anyway, hopfully you can see the PIP, I have a mac and sometimes my PIP's don't show up. Also I need to polish those suckers!

mgfit1

We always get together as a family the Saturday before xmas to make a traditional Italian dessert at my mom's house (my siblings and their kids too).  We always did this ever since I was little....nice to now have photos of my DC doing the same thing I did when I was little. 

 I host an annual "cookie day" at my house.  I have all my neices/nephews over along with our DC and some of his friends.   The kids decorate cookies with frosting, sprinkles and candies to take home with them - they decorate special ones for Santa too.  They each take a box full of their own cookies home.  This year we had 12 kids!  It was so much fun.

I buy a photo orniment for the tree every year with the year on it and put DS's photo in it.  We give one to each grandma too.

Elf on a Shelf- we started that this year.

I bake chocolate chip pound cake and peanut butter snickers cookies every year.

 Xmas is at our house every year - all family and friends welcome.  This year we expect 20 people!

My SIL and I have a special gift bag we pass back/forth to each other each year with a goofy gift in it.  We started with this cute bag when my nephew was born...he's now 10!  This year I have to pass it back to her.

 My mom spends the night on xmas eve at our house and is here for xmas morning with DS and us.  (she only lives 10 min's from me but it's more fun to have her spend the night).

 

happ17

these are such awesome traditions! My family never celebrated xmas and DH's family is dysfunctional, so we made our own traditions--just the xmas eve pjs, a book and new ornament every year so far. Oh and we always buy an ornament every time we go out of town, even if it's just a weekend.